Apparatus for treating placer-dirt



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O. F. PIKE. APPARATUS FOR TREATING PLACER DIRT. No. 581.037. Patented Apr.-20, 1897.

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ITE TATES CHARLES F. PIKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING PLACER-DIRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 581 ,03'7, dated April 20, 1897. Application filed February 6, 1897. Serial No. 622,348. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. PIKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Placer-Dirt, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to the separation of fine dirt and metal from placer-gravel, its obj ect being to so operate upon the placer-gravel that all of the heavy rocks and larger stones will be thoroughly and completely washed by the use of a minimumquantity of water and the gold-bearing material removed and saved for subsequent treatment.

My present invention relates to the class of invention for recovery of precious metals from placer-dirt such as described in my application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 612,888.

In the material which I more particularly desire to act upon the gold is found in the form of fine metallic particles adhering with the soil and clay to the rocks and stones, and it requires a very thorough and violent washing to disintegrate soil and clay and free the particles of gold.

In placer-mining as ordinarily practiced the gravel and soil are detached from the 7 bank by the use of a stream of Water and all of the material is washed into a sluice-box, from whence the larger stones and rocks are usually picked out by hand, usually with a large proportion of the gold-bearing soil adhering thereto. This practice not only requires an extremely large volume of water, but the washing of the stones and rocks is imperfect and the subsequent removal from the sluice of the stones and rocks is inconvenient and expensive. I have found in practice that this ordinary washing of the gold-bearing material by directing a jet or stream or a series of jets or streams of water against it is not sufficient to effect the thorough washing necessary to work on a commercial basis. I have, however, found that the desired result may be accomplished by subjecting the material to constant contact with a stream of running water in such manner that the water will be agitated and continually thrown against the rocks and stones from all sides, the series of contacts with the partly-divided stream of water gradually wearing away the adhering soil and clay from the stones until the washing is complete, and the stones pass from the water perfectly free and clean.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, of an apparatus for washing placer-dirt constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation, on an en larged scale, on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure as illustrated in Fig. 1, showing more clearly the construction of the conveyer and the sluice-box; and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale to illustrate the construction more clearly.

To treatpl acer-gravel on a commercial scale, especially where the material is not extremely rich and where the gold recovered is in fine particles, it is necessary that all of the gravel treated should be very thoroughly and completely washed and all of the fine material saved for subsequent treatment. At the same time the separating and washing apparatus must be in the immediate vicinity of the material to be acted upon in order that the expense of cartage or carrying may be avoided.

In carrying out my invention I preferably place the washing apparatus, the engine, or

, other device which is to operate the same, and

a shovel, scoop, endless-chain carrier or equivalent digging or ditching device on a wheeled platform and travel the same toward and through the bank of placer-gravel to be operated-upon. The digging mechanism at or near the front of the platform gradually digs its way through the bank, lifting the dirt gradually and depositing it on or in the path of an endless conveyor, which latter device carries the dirt through a body of running water in the sluice-box, effecting a very thorough and complete washing of the larger stones or rocks which are always found in placer deposits. The larger stones or rocks, afterbeing washed, are carried by the conveyer or by an auxiliary the rear of the platform, so as not to interfere with the advancement of the work, and the finer material is saved to be treated in the sluice-box or after its discharge therefrom for the recovery of contained gold.

The present apparatus, while preferably arranged in such manner as to he traveled into and through the bank of material to be operated upon, may be stationary and form a part of the ordinary sluice system of placer-mining.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a platform mounted on a series of wheels A and carrying a steam-shovel l3 and asteam or other engine 0. On the platform is also mounted the apparatus for effecting the washing of the material delivered thereto by the steam-shovel.

On suitable supports on the platform is a sluice-box D, having an offset portion D at one end, the portion D of the sluice extending toward the rear of the machine over a suitable receiver D into which the material to be saved falls through a perforated plate (Z in the bottom of the sluice and is gradually collected, while the surplus water may be wasted, or where water is scarce it may be pumped through the supply-pipes and used over and over again.

(t represents an endless conveyer, preferably in the form ofa slatted belt, on which is deposited the placer-gravel to be washed. This belt is guided by a series of wheels Z), mounted on suitable supporting-shafts and driven by the engine C. The conveyer is so guided by the wheels I) that its upper lap will be depressed into the portion D of the sluicebox to a point close to the bottom of the sluicebox so that the material which it carries will be subjected to the greatest possible volume of water running in such sluice-box, while the lower lap is guided around and below the portion D of the sluice-box, as shown.

At the forward end of the portion D is one or more discharge-nozzles it, through which a stream or streams of waterare forced into contact with the material on the conveyor to effeet a partial washing of such material before it is again brought into contact with the water when depressed into the sluice-box.

In operation the gravel is raised and deposited on or in the path of the endless conveyer, which then travels such material down into the body of water contained in the portion D of the sluiee-box, the speed of travel of the water and the speed of travel of the eonveyer being different, the water preferably running at a higher speed, so that the water will be agitated and forcibly dashed against all sides of the stones and rocks, disintegrating or washing off all adhering clay and dirt, which, with the metal, sinks to the bottom of the sluice-box and is carried off by the stream of water forsubseqent treatment,

while the larger stones and rocks after being thoroughly washed are carried by the convcyer to an auxiliary carrier G or a dischargechute, which delivers them to a dumpingground at one side or to the rear of the platform. The carrier G is connected by suitable belts g g g to the engine 0.

The endless conveyer a may be of any desired construction-as, for instance, that shown in Figs. t and 5, in which parallel link belts or chains carry transversely-disp0sed slats or bars for the support of the stones or rocks, open spaces being left between the slats or bars to permit the escape of the disintegrated material to the sluice-box.

It will be understood that various modifications in the construction described may be made without departing from the spirit of my inventionas, for instance, a n umber of guiding-wheels may be placed within the sluicebox to effect the depression of the carrier or the latter maybe allowed to sag and dip into the sluice-box without the employment of guiding-wheels.

The construction of the conveyer may be modified in any suitable manner, as circumstances or the requirements of service may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an ore-treating apparatus for treating placer-gravel with a limited supplyof water, an endless open belt having projections for engaging the material to be carried thereby, said belt being perforated to permit the free passage of the disintegrated material and water therethrough, an elongated narrow sluice-box for carrying and directing the flow of water contained therein, through which said sluice-box one ply of said endless belt is adapted to travel, in the same direction as the flow of water at a different speed, devices for supporting and guiding said belt and for lifting that portion of the same travelingin said sluice-box above the bottom of said sluicebox to allow the waterand disintegrated material a free passage below as well as above said belt, said belt being so constructed as to allow the surfaces of the ore carried thereby free exposure to the full force of the current of water above, below and around the same in said sluice-box traveling at a speed varying from the speed of said belt, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this -tth day of February, A. D. 1807.

CHARLES F. PIKE.

Witnesses:

J'No. E. PARKER, WM. A. PIKE. 

